NFL Week 3: Unbeaten teams facing stiff tests

The NFL season is only two weeks old, and already 25 of the 32 clubs have at least one loss. The remaining undefeated squads include the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals, but you could make a smart bet that this number will be cut in half by Tuesday morning.

Looking at the lines over at OddsShark.com, the Rams, Chiefs, Jaguars and Dolphins are all favorites at home. Meanwhile, the traveling Bengals and Broncos are expected to go down for the first time, while the Buccaneers are slight underdogs at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Of all the teams, the best bet to stay unbeaten is the Jaguars. Jacksonville is home for the second straight weekend after beating up on the New England Patriots, this time drawing the Tennessee Titans. Marcus Mariota is still limited in practice with an elbow injury, and even if he plays, how effective will he be? The Titans did find a way to beat the Houston Texans with the immortal Blaine Gabbert under center, but Houston isn’t exactly Jacksonville.

The Chiefs should also be able to handle business, being only one of three teams having their home opener this weekend (Seattle Seahawks and Texans are the others). Kansas City is laying 6.5 points to the San Francisco 49ers, who are 1-1 after losing to the Minnesota Vikings and then beating the Detroit Lions.

The Chiefs have the highest-scoring offense in football at 40 points per game, while second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes has set a record with 10 touchdown passes through the first two games. San Francisco is going to have a difficult time stopping, and keeping up with, Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium.

Then there are the Buccaneers, who are somehow underdogs against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh has ample talent but hasn’t won yet and remain without Le’Veon Bell. Let me know when the Steelers are finally able to get off the field against a good offense … like the one they are about to face.

Conversely, the Bengals and Broncos might have the toughest times finding a way to finish out Week 3 with a goose egg in the loss column. Denver has to go across the country to play a Baltimore Ravens team that has enjoyed a 10-day layoff. Baltimore is also a good home team from a historical perspective, and a team desperate to win after being embarrassed on national TV in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati has been playing fine football, but now go south to play the Carolina Panthers. Carolina lost to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, but with the Panthers coming home, it’s a tall order for the Bengals to win this one. Cincinnati will need to throw the ball well against a questionable secondary, as both teams’ strengths lie in the trenches.